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The Jen Projects of 2013

I’m not a resolution kind of gal. I just don’t want to be told what I should be doing, even if it’s from me to myself. That’s just weird.

Now, projects? Projects I’ll load up on. Though, I don’t have a timeframe or a priority order in which I’ll complete them.

It goes something like this:

Wake up

Think “Today I’m painting this room!”

Start painting room

Finish some time in future.

Luckily, our house is 28 years old and there’s never a time when something doesn’t need to be fixed or replaced. ::throws cash at house:: If we have funds left after that, then I try and update what I can.

This year I’ve put projects big and small on the list. Some require $ and some require $$. And if it’s a good year, the ones that require $$ don’t end up requiring $$$$ so I can get more of the $ ones done.

So what’s on the list this year?

Fix rotted wood on house and then get house painted

Cost= $$ or $$$ (Wood can be expensive, yo)

Well, this is creepy.

This is one of those things that you have to do but hate spending money on it. One thing we learned after last time is that there is always more wood rotted than you can see. That’s the way wood works, it hates you but loves your money. And we really should have had it done last year but didn’t The only good part is that we’re going to change the color of our house (YEAH and help?) and the new wood should insure our house doesn’t fall around us while we’re in the shower.

Speaking of painting, let’s take a moment to mourn the porch floor that I painfully stenciled that will be sanded down and repainted as well. SIGH. I hope to find another design that I love just as much and the Tylenol to go along with doing it, plentiful.

My precious…

First floor flooring

Cost= $$$

When we first moved into this house, one of our first thoughts were “wow, this carpet has GOT to go.” Once we started adding kids to the house, it really didn’t make sense to put new carpeting in our main living area. After having it cleaned and cleaned, and having those cleaners tell us how crappy the carpeting is (gee thanks, we KNOW!) It’s time. So time.

Since we have an open concept first floor that means the whole first floor has to be done. Ok, it doesn’t really mean that but since the fridge leaked and ruined the floor under it (Pergo) and the toilet leaked and ruined the floor under THAT (seriously, house, grab a depends will ya?) it’s all got to go. Can we talk about flooring choices? Exhausting. And? We won’t really know what we can budget for this until the wood rot/painting gets done. So let’s all pray to the wood rot gods for minimal damage.

Those are the two big projects on the list for this year. Since those will only require funding, and not my labor, I’ll take on a few projects of my own:

½ Bath

Cost= $- $$

Once upon a time this room was wallpapered and just ugly. I removed wallpaper, painted cabinets, walls and did a mosaic sink. It was supposed to be a temporary fix. 13 years later, it’s time to go. I would love to get a new vanity and sink top. Repaint walls. (And the flooring will be new too, if we’re lucky). Considering the space is 3’ x 5 ‘it shouldn’t cost too much and I should be able to do it all myself. I think.

It’s been 10 years since it’s been painted and with 2 boys, the walls are really banged up.

No idea on what color I’m going with but it’s currently this poop brown. And yes, we picked that color. Gross.

Smaller projects:

Changing out door handles that are currently gold.

Changing out bathroom faucets that are too hard for the kids to pull up, I’d like more of a “stick” handle type for them.

I already changed out this showerhead. It was as easy as unscrewing the one and screwing this one on. The difference in water coverage is huge, especially when I’m freezing in the winter. And it’s quite mirror like so I use it as one to wash my mascara off in the shower (not pictured, creep)

Other:

Restencil the front porch ::cries::

Rebuild the vegetable garden and expand it some.

Make a craft space for myself. I have 3 hot glue guns. I must make this one happen.

Oh, and finally there’s the one project that I’m doing that requires its own post and a box of Kleenex.

Hint: Living

Is that enough yet? Oh, then there’s the usual Halloween projects, but that doesn’t start until August.

I’m lazier than this looks. Swear. Now, hand me that pinot noir, it’s still February. Plenty of time left.

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Disclaimer:

I was sent the shower head shown from Moen. It’s called the Halo. Where many large profile shower heads cost OMGHOWMUCHFORTHAT? this once actually costs $60 at Home Depot. It’s not only a reasonable update, I literally just screwed it on. Price and ease of use= $60.00. 60% more coverage of warm water on my freezing a$$= priceless. They didn’t pay me to say that either. And everything I’ve said with my own words. Pretty sure that’s obvious. Now if I could only guarantee these other projects would be as reasonable and easy.

Ugh. Our projects include new floor, new living room floor (where now there is bare concrete, lovely!), new everything in two bedrooms since they need to be gutted due to water damage, new ceiling in dining room and kitchen because ditto. And let’s not even talk about my yard.

And now I’m going to get drunk and think about all the pretty craft projects I’d like to do but won’t because my 70-year-old house is a money pit.

Have you seen this color tool? Scroll to page 22 to get to more house exteriors. It won’t spit out paint numbers, but it’s free and might lead you down a path. http://picario.lucrasoft.eu/site-pqi/?lang=en-US. We need to redo our stucco in a lot of places and might repaint depending on how hideously expensive it will be.